Bowling ball game amusement device



Feb. 19, 1963 A. G. WISNER BOWLING BALL GAME AMUSEMENT DEVICE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 24, 1959 INVENTOR Arlin G. Wisner ATTORNEY Q QQ Q Feb. 19, 1963 A. G. WISNER 3,078,096

. BOWLING BALL GAME AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Nov. 24, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet2 INVENTOR Arl in G. Wisner ATTORNEY This invention relates to a bowlingball game amusement device.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide aself-contained bowling ball game amusement device utilizing a bowlingfloor surface having markings and identations at the ends of the surfaceinto which it is attempted to place the bowling balls from the remoteend of the surface and an immediate target element disposed over thesurface adapted to be struck as a bowling ball is delivered from one endto the other end of the surface to flash a signal, if struck, and give apoint while attempting to locate the ball in the markings andindentations at the opposite end of the bowling floor surface.

It is another object of the invention to provideva bowling ball gameamusement device which can be played by two players, one at each end ofthe bowling floor surface, so that balls used in the playing of the gameneed not have to be returned for use at but the one end of the bowlingfloor surface as required in a regular bowling alley, and also whereinthe game can be played by four players at the same time with two playersat each end of the bowling floor surface.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a bowling balltarget strike indicating device adapted to be disposed over a bowlingball floor surface and to be engaged by a bowling ball so that whenstruck by the bowling ball and as the ball passes thereunder cause an iindicating device to be waved or dipped in the direction of movement ofthe bowling ball.

Other objects of the invention are to provide bowling ball gameamusement device, having the above objects in mind, which is of simpleconstruction, inexpensive to manufacture, has a minimum number of parts,easy to assemble, of pleasing appearance, enjoyable to play, eifi cientand effective in use.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the bowling ball gameamusement device embodying the features of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the bowling gamedevice as taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the bowling gamedevice taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1, and looking in elevation upon thebowling ball target strike indicating devices located intermediate thelength of the bowling ball floor surface,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged top plan view of one of the target strikeindicating devices,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the bowling ball targetstrike indicating device as viewed on line 5-5 of FIG. 4, and

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the bowling ball target strikeindicating device with illustration made as to the manner in which theupper swing indicating part is tilted in the direction of movement ofthe ball toward the opposing player as the ball strikes the dependingtarget element.

Referring now to the figures, 19 represents a bowling ball floor playingsurface over which the bowling balls B of about four and one-half inchesin diameter are delivered from the players at the opposite ends of thebowling ball floor surface. The opposing players stand at the oppositeend of the bowling ball floor surface 10.

tes atent The bowling ball floor surface is enclosed with side walls 11and 12 and end walls 13 and 14. In front of the respective end walls 13and 14 are rubber cushioning members 15 and 16 respectively which areadapted to take the shock of the bowling balls, prevent injury to theend wall and give some return movement to the bowling ball play over thetarget areas. The bowling surface may run fifty feet in length and sixfeet in width. The side and end walls may run up to five or six inchesin height.

At each end of the floor surface are square markings 17. Three rows ofthese markings extend across the surface and there are seven suchsquares in each row or some twenty-one squares located at each end ofthe bowling ball surface. In certain of these square markings at eachend of the bowling ball playing floor surface are round openings orindentations 18 of sufficient depth in which the bowling ball may cometo rest.

In the center of the bowling ball playing floor surface or alley thereis supported over the surface upon an elevated transverse supportstructure if, three rotary mechanical target strike indicating devices20 laterally spaced from one another and adapted to be struck by thebowling ball as it is delivered by the player from one end of thebowling floor surface to the other end thereof and while the player isattempting to locate the ball in the different indentations at theopposite end of the bowling ball playing floor surface.

The supporting structure 19 comprises end frame members 2i and 22connected respectively to the outer faces of the side walls 11 and 12and extending upwardly therefrom and supported between their upper endsare parallel transverse supporting bars 23 and 24, between which therotary mechanical target strike indicating units are supported.

Each unit has a rectangular shaped box-like frame 26 formed of side andend pieces secured together and fastened between the transverse supportbars 23 and 24. Extending between the sides of the frame 26 in the lowerportion thereof is a pivot rod 27 on which is hung a target supportingframe 28 for fore and aft swinging movement. The target frame carries adepending target member 29 formed of a plate 36 and rounded raised ballcontacting portions 31 and 32 on the opposite sides of the lower end ofthe plate 30. The plate 30 is supported from a rivet 33 extendingbetween two spaced parallel plates 34 and 35 of the supporting framethat are held by pins 36 and 37 between side members 33 and 39 throughwhich the pivot rods 27 extend. Extending between and through the upperends of these side members 33 and 39 is a transverse rod 40 to which anupwardly extending indicator frame 41 is connected to be worked by thetarget supporting frame 28.

This indicating frame 41 has side frame members 42 and 43 and held apartby a lower spacing bar 44 and an upper spacing rod 45. The side framemembers 42 and 43 have vertically-extending elongated slots 45 and 47 intheir lower ends, that oppose each other and through which a pivot rod43 extends between the side pieces of the box-like frame 26 and on whichthe indicating frame 41 pivots fore and aft upon being worked by thedepending target supporting frame 28. A clown indicator C is pivotedfrom the upper spacing rod and between the side frame members 42 and 43.

When the target unit 28 is struck by the bowling ball in passing overthe bowling floor surface, the ball on striking the rounded target 29will move the target frame 28 in the direction that the ball istravelling and depending from which end of the alley the ball has beendelivered and the indicating frame ll will assume a position tilteddownwardly also in the same direction in which the ball travels to wavea pennant that may be Patented Feb. 19, 1963 connected to the same orthe clown or grotesque figure C that may be attached to it and thus addzest to the game.

The squares 17 and identations 18 will preferably be numbered and alsothe mechanical target and indicating units. 20' will be numbered and theplayers at each end of the bowling alley or floor surface will attemptto strike the depending target 29 of the units 20. The

targets 29 depend to a point close to or within a quarter played withplayers located at both ends of the bowling floor surface and withoutthe ball being returned to one end of the playing surface unplayed, andwherein in addition to square markings and indentations at the oppositeends of the mechanical target units intermediate the ends of the bowlingfioor surface may be aimed at by the players at both ends of the bowlingfloor surface.

While various changes may be made in the detailed construction of theinvention, it shall be understood that such changes. shall be within thespirit andscope of the present invention as defined'by the appendingclaims.

Whatds claimed is:

In combination with a double ended bowling'alley having target areas ateach end, a centrally positioned bowling ball .target unit comprising arectangular shaped boxlike frame formed of side and end pieces,transverse support bars for supporting the said box-like frame above,

thetbowling alley surface, a pivot rod extending between theasidepieces.inthelowerportion thereof, a. target supporting frame hung on the pivotrod for fore and aft swinging movement, said target supporting framecomprising a pair of laterally spaced side members and two spacedparallel plates extending therebetween, a swing plate and a pinconnecting said-swing plate between said two spaced parallel plates forlateral swinging movement, said swing plate having rounded raisedbowling ball contacting portions on opposite sides of the lower endthereof and depending near to the bowling alley surface for engagementby a bowling ball being rolled thereover a normally vertical strikeindicator frame operatedby said target supportingframe, said strikeindicatorframe comprising side frame members lower and upper spacingmembersfor holding said side frame members spaced apart, said side framemembers having opposed vertically extending elongated slots, a pivot'rodextending through.

said elongated slots and fixed between said side pieces of said box-likeframe, and a pivot rodconnecting the upper ends of said laterally spacedside members of said target supporting frame to the lower endsof saidside frame members of said indicator frame whereby said indicator frameis tilted from its normally vertical position to. aposition angularlyinclined inthedirection of travel of the. bowling ball by the targetsupporting frame, when said frame is similarly inclinedin the directionof travel ofthe ball striking one of said target contacting portions,irrespective ofthe end of said double ended alley from whichzthe bowlingball is propelled.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,622,981 Tanaka, Mar. 29, 1927 2,118,383 Page May 24,, 1938 2,523,257Firestone Sept. 19, 1950 2,542,625 Carroll Feb. 20, 1951, 2,801,854Trudeau Aug, 6,1957 2,887,320 Gravelle, etal May 19, 1959,

